Outside door handles for vehicle doors include pull-up type handles and grip-type handles. The pull-up types are pivotally supported in such a manner as to allow manipulation in a vertical direction. The grip-types are pivotally supported in such a manner as to allow manipulation in a horizontal direction.
A grip type outside handle includes a link lever, which is linked to the outside handle, and a release lever connected to the link lever. A latch open lever is linked to the release lever. When the outside handle is manipulated in an opening direction, which is a direction separating from a door outer panel (hereinafter, referred to as an “outer panel”), the latch open lever is operated through the link lever and the release lever to release the door lock.
In a vehicle involved in a side collision, an outside handle may displace in the opening direction due to inertia caused by impact on the corresponding door or through deformation of the outer panel of the door. As a result, through the side collision, the associated latch open lever may operate to release the door lock, thus causing the door to open.
Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for preventing unlocking of a door at the time when a side collision occurs to a vehicle. The technique includes an extended member arranged between an outer panel and the aforementioned release lever. If the outer panel deforms due to a side collision, the extended member is brought into contact with the release lever and thus deforms the release lever. This prevents the release lever from operating the latch open lever. Also, to facilitate deformation or collapse of the release lever at the time when the extended member contacts the release lever, a fragile portion is formed in the release lever.
However, the outside handle is repeatedly manipulated to open or close the door each time the vehicle is used. This causes a problem in durability of the release lever, which includes the fragile portion.